The profiles can, I expect, be largely constructed by the user agent,
with some input from the user to fine-tune the preferences. They are
then expressed in CC/PP or another suitable format and transmitted to
servers as resources are requested. The range of options might
include:
1. Various forms of HTML/XHTML.
2. XSL formatting objects optimized for the output device.
3. WML or XHTML basic for mobile devices.
4. Speech Synthesis Markup Language, speech grammars and dialogues.
5. SVG graphics as well as other raster-based image formats.
6. Other high-level XML formats.
All of these options (notably items 1-5, above) are supported by
specifications that have already been agreed upon or are under
development within the W3C.
Our guidelines need to be suitable for an environment, in the not too
distant future, in which these technologies are available and
increasingly utilized. It is important to remember that the
guidelines, as they are intended to become a W3C Recommendation, must
be designed with long-term stability in mind, which implies that, at
the very least, current and emerging technologies need to be taken
fully into account.
For the moment I think the most important area affected will be our
conformance scheme, but it will also be necessary to develop
techniques that are relevant to these technologies.